The organisation recalls that the long and unpredictable queues generated by the EES are discouraging passenger travel at a time when the continent’s aviation sector is already facing a slowdown due to the impact of the conflict in the Middle East.

Data from the first half of the year show that passenger traffic across the European airport network grew by 2.6%, marking a slowdown compared to previous quarters. This loss of momentum was particularly evident in the second quarter, when the growth rate stood at 1.3%, contrasting with the 4.3% recorded in the first three months of the year.

This trend reflects reduced capacity on routes to the Middle East, rising aviation fuel costs, and a 1.7% year-on-year drop in global demand in June reported by IATA. This shift caused domestic traffic to outpace international market growth for the first time since the pandemic.

Despite the sector’s volatility, tourism demand from Europeans and North Americans remains high during the summer.

ACI Europe Director General Olivier Jankovec emphasised that rectifying the operational inefficiencies of the EES is essential to avoid reputational damage to European tourism and ensure the sustainability of air traffic in the second half of the year.